Run
by Voydag
Summary: Sirius is dead, Harry is hurting, Bellatrix is doubting... now what. The Department of Mysteries, the confrontation between Bella and Harry went a bit different
1. Chapter 1

Harry Potter and his world belong to J.K. Rowling. I just borrowed it and took it for a spin.

A bit of a twist on the ending of book 5. I've been reading too much fanfiction, had to get this out.

_**Run**_

Run, run, run,…

One foot after the other, it's like walking only faster.

And run he did, as fast as his feet would let him, and even then he wanted to push, run… through hallways and rooms, passing door after door. Run, catch, kill. Yes, kill for she killed Sirius and he would kill her. She was running, somewhere in front of him, through the same hallways, through the same rooms. He couldn't see her, but she was there in front of him. Running!

His head hurt, his lungs were burning, he could see the flames dancing in front of his eyes, and he saw red. He ran ignoring the shouts around him, dodging spells meant or not meant for him. Run, catch, kill… pain! Oh boy that hurt. He lay sprawled on his back, his lungs screaming for air, stars dancing in front of his eyes, a strange buzzing in his ears. Was he crying? His face was wet. Pushing himself up on his elbows he looked around wand out, ready to defend against whoever had send him flying. There she was, standing only a few feet away, her back to him. Apparently not even aware he was behind her. Getting back to his feet, he raised his wand a curse forming on his lips when a scream echoed through the chamber. Darkness surrounded them but the constant firing of hexes and spells had left a glowing residue floating around lighting up two additional people, the first one he didn't know, but the long black cloak and the mask showed what he was, a Death Eater. The second one he knew perfectly well, down on the floor her wand out of reach blood trickling from her mouth, ears and nose and her leg beneath her at a wrong angle. The unknown Death Eater was taunting her, he did not listen, he even forgot the third person, the one that he was here for, she could wait, his friend was in danger and he had to help her. The Death Eater raised his wand, his mouth forming words, his wand alight in green. Everything seemed to slow down, he raised his own wand a spell on his lips, his feet moving and bang he collided with something again and found himself back on his ass. Scrambling back up he tried again, there was a shield in place he couldn't get passed.

"Hermione" he yelled, his fist hitting the shield that kept him back.

Hermione didn't move, she couldn't, whatever that last curse was she couldn't move, blink or breathe, she tried but she just couldn't. But she could see and hear and knew exactly what spell was coming and what the green light meant. A tear slid down her cheek and she waited for the end. And it ended but not in the way she expected.

I killed Sirius Black, I killed Sirius Black, I killed Sirius, I killed Siri… Over and over it danced through her mind as she ran. Her own voice following and no matter how hard she ran, it was there. The voice in her ears, in her mind. Sirius falling backwards stupefied like she had intended but then he didn't come back. That was not supposed to happen. What was the point to fighting if he just disappeared on her and died? He wasn't to die. I killed Sirius Black… And here she was, lungs burning, eyes stinging, her head ready to explode. She couldn't run anymore, stop if only for a minute. Where was she? Looking around she spotted Dolohov and one of the children. The girl was on the ground, although looking at Anthony she had given him quit the fight. And now she was going to die, the killing curse forming on his lips, his wand aglow and his arm waving the well-known pattern. I killed Sirius Black. NO! The voice in her mind yelled and the next thing she knew she was kneeling next to the girl with Dolohov out cold at the other end of the room. What was she doing?

What was she doing? Harry stared as the scene played out, but he couldn't quite understand what had just happened. Neither did he notice that with Dolohov out cold the shield had disappeared. He just stood there unable to move, watching as his godfather's murderer, a pure-blooded Death Eater save a mudblood.

What is wrong with me? 14 years in Azkaban have made you soft. I killed Sirius. Yes you did, and what are you going to do about that. Oh shut up. Walking up to the girl Bellatrix's inner turmoil continued, she stopped listening and kneeled down waving her wand up and down muttering to herself.

Slowly Harry moved forward, wand at the ready, a curse on his lips when her voice reached his ears.

"I suggest you wait a bit Mister Potter, and let us save your friend first."

Harry faltered; his wand still raised the spell on his lips.

"We can fight this out as soon as your mudblood is breathing again."

She didn't look up. She didn't seem to care he was ready to curse her. Her attention was souly on Hermione. So to his own surprise he found himself moving forward and kneeling down. Time seemed to slow down for a second time that day as they worked, trying to save Hermione's life. And they did, well Bellatrix did.

"I can't do anything else for her, she needs to go the St. Mungo's, she's stable for the moment but it would be best to get her out of here."

Harry didn't move, this was surreal, here he was with what everybody said was Voldemort's right hand, his most brutal and lethal Death Eater, the woman who had killed her cousin his godfather, had just saved or tried to save his friend. A person she thought was beneath her, not worth the life. Time had resumed around him. Screams and shouts, crashes and explosions could be heard behind him, held back by one wooden door.

Bellatrix stood, wand in hand looking at Dolohov still out cold where he had landed, listening to the fighting and she didn't care. She was fine here, doing nothing. There was a time when her heart would have burst from her chest, excitement building up to join the chase. In fact it had been only minutes ago that her heart had been pumping, the trill of the fight and then Sirius. She had killed Sirius. Well to be fair she hadn't meant to kill him. She had sent a stunner and was sure she had missed but still he died. Fell through the damned veil. Yes, she knew now what had happened and where they had been fighting…stupid, stupid, stupid. Another explosion brought her out of her musings and she looked straight into the greenest eyes she had ever seen. Eyes filled with every kind of emotion you could imagine. She couldn't look away.

"Very well Mister Potter…let's get this over with. Just so you're warned once I get started it's hard for me to stop. I never left anything half done." Bellatrix sighed, moved a few steps backwards and took a standard duelling stand. "Mister Potter, as you can hear we do not have all day, and your friend does still needs a lot of help, I may have stabilised her for the moment she is not out of danger yet."

"You killed Sirius. Why?"

She didn't answer, deny or confirm what he had said; she just looked at him, waiting.

"And now you saved Hermione."

"I haven't yet, she may still die."

"Why? She is a muggleborn, a mudblood you so hate. You have killed hundreds."

"Hundreds? Wow I was ambitions wasn't I."

"This not a joke, you're Bellatrix Lestrange, you're a murderer, Voldemort's right hand…"

Bellatrix flinched but Harry continued.

"You tortured Neville's parents to insanity, you, you, you… you killed Sirius."

His face was wet, tears of anger and grief.

"And now … Hermione, and you could have killed me ten times over but you haven't, and…"

"Breath Mister Potter, I would face certain dead if I killed you. You are the Dark Lord's. We are not to touch little Harry Potter."

"Then…why? I don't understand, I don't understand…" He was on his knees now, tears streaming down, a floodgate had opened and all the upend emotions of the last year came out through his eyes. Cedric's death, the dementors, Dumbledore's betrayal, Snape's vindictiveness, McGonnagall's dismissals, Umbridge, Voldemort, and guilt, all that guilt.

Sitting in one of the dark chambers deep inside the Ministry of Magic, Harry Potter cried his eyes out, his friend laying a few feet away unconscious and a Death Eater beside him standing guard. Bellatrix let the boy cry, how she wished she could join him. She had no idea what was happening to him, had no idea what to do. Curse him, yeah that would be easy, but she found herself unwilling. Frustrated beyond believe, so she stood and waited her eyes switching from the girl to the boy to the man. Anthony, right I had forgotten about him. A painful scream made her look at the boy at the same time as her left arm flared up in pain, a hiss escaped her lips. Potter was still on his knees, his hands pressed to his forehead, blood dripping down his fingers. What the hell?

"Bellatrix" he gasped.

"Potter" she gritted.

"He's here, he's angry" they said simultaneously.

Harry pushed himself shakingly up to his feet.

"Where do you think you're going?" A hand had his arm in a vice like grip.

"Voldemort, he's here, I have to…" He tried to shake his arm free and stumble to the door. Admittingly he didn't try very hard.

"Stay here and protect your friend. I didn't use up all that magic on a mudblood for nothing." She sneered, nothing like Snape's and it didn't reach her eyes but it made Harry pause.

"I have to, they expect it from me, I'm the boy who lived." He whispered as he tried to take another step.

"Stay here Potter, protect your friend, and believe it or not but right now he is not here for you, that damned prophecy is more important than you at the moment. Besides, looking at you like this, you wouldn't be the boy who lived for much longer."

"But…"

"Potter!"

"Sirius…"

"Yes, Sirius." She sighed, "We will talk about Sirius later. Stay put."

And she was gone; Harry stumbled back to Hermione and sat down beside her, her head securely in his lap. Wand at the ready he kept his eyes locked on the door and well aware of the man in the corner. He didn't know how much time had passed since Sirius, the chase after Bellatrix, the strange events following and when Remus found them. Later they told him only half an hour had passed. Several Death Eaters had been captured, Bellatrix hadn't been among them. Remus and Tonks were furious, he somehow felt a bit of relieve. And now here he was on his way to his own Privet Drive prison.

The last few days had gone by in a blur for him. Finally hearing what that Prophecy was all about, more half-truths and promises, destroying the Headmaster's office. Should he apologize for that? Lonely days in Gryffindor tower, walks around the grounds, escaping the whispers and the looks. Ginny, Neville, Ron and Luna were still in the hospital wing and Hermione had been taken to St. Mungo's. After much yelling Madame Pomfrey finally flooed her colleague for an update, she was a lucky girl, if you hadn't done what you did Harry she would have surely died. But he hadn't done anything Bellatrix had. He didn't say that though, just nodded and walked out. So now after a silent train journey, he was sitting in the car with his Uncle, his mind in turmoil, his body moving on automatic. Uncle Vernon parked the car in the driveway opened the booth to the car and walked inside leaving Harry to bring his trunk and Hedwige. Nobody greeted him as he struggled through the front door; nobody was there when he almost fell down the stairs dragging the heavy trunk and owl cage up to his room. The locks were still there, nothing had changed, it never did. Well, maybe that was the only constant in his life, Privet Drive never changed.


	2. Chapter 2 Rain

Harry Potter and his world belong to J.K. Rowling. I just borrowed it and took it for a spin.

A bit of a twist on the ending of book 5. I've been reading too much fanfiction, had to get this out.

_**Rain**_

Rain was falling. It had been falling for days, weeks actually and no end in sight. Dark rainclouds hung low over the valley blocking out the sun and casting a grey veil over everything. Even the brilliant white peacocks that lived on the property seemed to have lost their colour. Some had died; she had heard tell, from the rain but mostly the wet cold. Why did she remember that? She had no interest in peacocks. No, not the birds themselves but the death of them festered and she hadn't even killed one. A growl low in her throat escaped her as she snapped her wand in and elegant move and blew up the mirror…again. Drawing in a deep breath and slowly letting it out Bellatrix surveyed the damage she had done to her suite. This was the, what, 10th time the room was in shambles? The first few times her little sister had rushed in, panic clearly visible in her blue eyes. Unbelievable but true she had apologised and had cleaned up the mess. She hated seeing Cissy like this, her little sister was a weeping crumbling mess and her temper wasn't helping. Well she wasn't weeping, but she was a mess too. And for what? I ask you… She had no reason to, none what so ever and come to think of it neither had Cissy. OK, so Lucius was in Azkaban, big deal, it was his own fault getting captured. Draco was getting the Dark Mark, good for him, she had one too and proud of it… to serve the Dark Lord was a privilege. Something to be proud of. Yes, she served at his pleasure, she even spend 14 years in Azkaban for him. She was his most loyal servant, she would kill for him, torture and maim, she would walk through rivers of blood to please him, she would… Yeah, Cissy should stop snivelling and see the good in it all. Her son was chosen for this special assignment, and he would be introduced in the services of a great man. And Lucius would survive Azkaban, no worries; the Dark Lord was just punishing him for that fiasco of the Ministry. What on earth was Cissy so panicked about? Yes, all was just peachy, right? Right?

"Argh!" she yelled and a vase on the mantelpiece exploded.

Rapidly breathing in and out trying to get her heart under control Bellatrix watched the door. Minutes passed but her sister didn't appear. She sighed; oh this really had to stop. Why was she so despered for her sister to come? She had absolutely no need for those tears. Moving back to the window Bellatrix stared out over the gardens, trying to spot one of those blasted peacocks. Oh, for crying out loud I don't care about those bloody birds. Didn't she just decide everything was fine?

It wasn't and she knew it, it hadn't been fine for weeks. Ever since… she killed Sirius. Bellatrix stared around her destroyed room. How many times had she lashed out? How many times had she repaired it all? She hadn't understood why it hurt her to see Cissy in such pain. Why having Draco take the Dark Mark made her heart clench. Why kissing the Dark Lord's feet made her stomach rebel. Why blood was so red and why she wanted to save those bloody peacocks. Her eyes travelled to the small desk next to the window. The only thing in the room she had never destroyed. She now knew an answer to all those questions but the frustration it brought with it refused to leave her in peace. Slowly she pointed her wand at the desk and murdered a spell, a hidden drawer revealed itself. She moved her fingers along the beautiful engraved mosaic and heard a clicking noise as the drawer sprung open. A think envelope revealed itself. Gingerly she picked it up and moved back to the windowsill and sat down. The parchment was thick and heavy, the seal black and broken. It had been blood red when it had arrived but as soon as she broke it, it turned as black as her name. She had recognised the engraving immediately, although she hadn't seen it in years. The Black Family Crest had glared at her. That seal was only used by one person, the last one had died in 1979. No, the last person who could have used it she killed. It was something only the head of the house of Black could use and that had been Sirius. Sirius Black had sent her an official family crested letter. Suffice it to say, if not for Cissy's panic stricken face and her well-aimed stupify the house would have collapsed.

_My darling cousin Bella,_

_Well it finally happened, you won. As you are reading this I'm dead. Did I die by your hand? You must be so proud… I hope I did give you a hell of a fight. You know like the once we thought up when we were young. As I remember, and as you know that is not the easiest thing in the world for us, remembering happier times. But being here, stuck in this house they are coming back, ghosts and all. Do you know mother glued herself to the wall in the hall! Her portrait anyway, she still hates me. The feeling is mutual, she has asked for you and Cissy. Maybe I shouldn't be telling you this, Dumbledore and especially Moody will have my head for telling you this. Stupid really I told them the moment the Fidelius went up you would know something was up at Grimmauld Place, since you spend enough time here hiding from your parents as Reg and I hid from ours. But this stirring up bad memories is not the reason for my writing to you. I visited Gringotts. Shht don't tell I'm not supposed to leave the house. Ha, it was such fun sneaking out, I felt 16 again. That said, it was not that fun a visit, I almost got caught by some of the Ministry's helps, I did make it tough…sorry to disappoint my dear. So Sirius needed to be serious and went to make his will. You have NO idea what I found. The things our family were up to. Enfin… as fun as this is Bella-trix, I lost you so long ago, and blood is not always thicker than water. We made choices neither one of us agreed with. We are family through our blood, but we are no longer in our hearts. Something tells me I will die by your hand. I believe that in a small way we always knew that one of us would kill the other. I hope that it will be me that has the honour of killing you, however as you are reading my idiotic musings I will have gone first. Was it spectacular? But I digress, as I stated before I have made a will, don't worry you are not in it. Maybe I can still change that, don't thinks so. Before I could even put anything in writing I had a long a boring tour through the Black family vault. At least I thought it would be boring. Do you know my darling cousin about the Lestrange clause in your marriage contract? You do know your parents signed it… You didn't! Oh how wonderful, this will make all the difference. Too bad I won't be able to see what will happen. You see my darling cousin; upon my death the contract your parents and my father (as being the head of the family) signed will be destroyed. I ordered the goblins to destroy it, I already declared it null and void but for good measure the second I'm no longer amongst the living, poef… This is actually a lot of fun, too bad I won't see the effect it has on you. I enclosed a copy for your reading pleasure; it was made clear to me that you never saw this document. See I'm not heartless. I loved Bella, I hated Bellatrix and although I now realise that it was hardly Bella's fault that she turned into Bellatrix… love and hate walk a tight rope line… On the other hand maybe, just maybe I did you a favour. One more thing, why didn't they make one for Cissy?_

_Goodbye cousin mine, I hope we never meet again…_

_Sirius Black_

The letter slipped from her fingers as she looked at the other pages. She didn't read them like the letter. She already knew it by heart. The betrayal of her parents, and she hadn't even realised. It explained a lot, her emotions for one. She was calmer now, the first few times she tried to read it all, well the furniture would hate her for life.

Sirius had meant it all as punishment for her. Giving her back her conscious, compassion, her mind that felt like her own again. She hadn't even noticed it was missing. Everything was much clearer now, easier but also much much more difficult. The nightmares left over from Azkaban had her waking up screaming. The guilt was so overwhelming it left her gasping for air, unable to breathe as she screamed her lungs out. And yet she still hated muggles and all they stood for. The Dark Lord had ordered her to torture a few only a few hours ago and she had managed a perfect crucio. Afterwards the inside of the toilet had kept her company for over an hour. She really wanted to talk to Cissy, but the poor girl had her own problems. Their parents really had no faith in their daughters, well who could blame them. After the stunts Andromeda and Sirius pulled they made sure at least one of them would make the family proud. But why? Hadn't she gone willingly? Hadn't she stopped her studies as an Unspeakable? Hadn't she married Rodolphus like they asked? She wasn't so sure anymore now. She had always thought the lack of memories especially after she had taken the dark mark was due to her stay in Azkaban, and for the most part it probably was, still…Cissy was going to Diagon Ally tomorrow and she had an appointment at Gringotts. Picking up Sirius's letter and the copy of the contract she walked back to her desk. The drawer was still open; another envelope lay glaring at her. Exchanging one for the other she sat down and in one swift movement opened the small letter written in a need and orderly handwriting.

_Mrs. Bellatrix Lestrange,_

_Madame, you don't know me and I doubt once you realise who I am you will be royally pissed having even touched this missive. My name is Hermione Jane Granger; we met briefly at the Department of Mysteries. Harry told me what you did for me. I owe you my life Madame and with it a life debt. I have no idea how this will play out, I do not know if you will even accept my thanks but I thank you Madame Lestrange for saving my life. _

_Yours sincerely,_

_Hermione Granger_

The Mudblood had sent her a letter. And she still had it. The little girl even accepted the life debt. She didn't how she felt about that.

Slowly she put the letter back in the drawer and closed it. Tomorrow she would see the goblins and hopefully get some answers. The Mudblood could wait as well; maybe she would even send her a letter of her own. A smile touched her lips briefly, yeah why not, might even be fun. Now she needed to get out of this room, she'd fix it later, and clear her mind. One thing she had already decided, she would help Cissy in helping Draco, and do her best in preventing her nephew getting the Dark Mark. No more Black's would bare that mark of slavery.

The rain was still coming down and the wind had picked up, she didn't care as she walked out and was soon soaked, she had peacocks to save.


End file.
